The ADCC Win That Shocked the World

The 2003 ADCC world championship event in Sao Paulo was not Dean Lister's first taste of ADCC victory, having won a fight in 2001 before meeting up with Ricardo Almeida in the quarterfinals and in 2002, Dean won the ADCC North American Trials. But 2003 would be a run for the ages which saw Dean come back after losing to the legendary Xande Ribeiro in his division to make a victorious run in the Absolute Division after being called back, almost miraculously, to replace an injured competitor.

This run would see "The Boogeyman" set a tournament record, defeating 4 straight opponents with three of them by submission. These opponents were a who's who of grappling legends and future UFC fighters, like Nathan Marquardt, Marcio Cruz and BJJ legend Saulo Ribeiro.

Dean Lister's biggest and most important victory that day may not have been on the ADCC mats, as he tells in the video below. Sit back and enjoy the fascinating and a bit hilarious story of his interaction with fans, one in particular that combined with the gold in the Absolution Division cemented this day for the 27 year old grappling wizard as one of the best days of his life. Enjoy!

For more from the OG of grappling, Dean Lister check out Leg Attacks and Grappling Hacks from BJJ Fanatics! Who knows, maybe someday this knowledge will help you get a story like Dean's to share with your friends!

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BJJ Fanatics was started by a pair of black belts who know that nothing is more important for a fellow fanatic than their time on the mat. Our aim is to create a shop for BJJ Students who don't look at BJJ as a sport - but a lifestyle.